BRUCE GARRIOCH: Too much pressure? You are kidding, right. Yes, he is playing top-four minutes on this team, but I hardly think there is any pressure on this guy whatsoever.

DON BRENNAN: I don't think Erik Karlsson will be here by the end of the month. They'll save a year on his contract and ship him out before the 10-game mark.

TIM BAINES: Seems like it's trial under fire. And making mistakes has to throw his confidence for a loop.

CHRIS STEVENSON: Of course there's pressure. Lots of it. For him. For the organization. He's the Murrays' guy, one of the players who represents their direction for the organization. The way things are going, it's not going to be clear-cut, I don't think, on whether he stays after nine games. They're gonna get Kuba back. Where does Karlsson fit then? Is Karlsson gonna be better served here, playing in Sweden or Bingo?

GARRIOCH: Look, I think they're willing to live with the guy's mistakes. They knew it was going to be tough. My belief is sending him back is not the right answer. Live with the mistakes. If he goes back to Sweden, then you don't have any control over him getting stronger and being ready to play in the NHL. I'm not sure he would go to the AHL. Mind you, they do have Brian Lee sitting in Binghamton.

BAINES: Brian Lee? Geez, they're better off with Karlsson. A trade might be the answer. I still think the defence is the team's biggest issue it needs to address.

BRENNAN: And they do have Alex Picard more than capable of playing regularly. To me, once you send Lee down there's room for only one of Big Country Carkner or Karlsson. I think Big Country offers more.

GARRIOCH: How is Kuba's upper or lower body anyway? Anyone else frustrated with these injury reports? Sorry. Change the subject. I digress.

BRENNAN: You're right, Bruce. I swear it has shifted from lower to upper. Where exactly is the uterus located, anyway? What a joke. Do you think if the opposition knew Kuba had a sore knee they'd go after his knee next game? This isn't Grand Prix wrestling and he's certainly no Don Leo Jonathan.

STEVENSON: Or one of the Rougeaus. Which one was the Mountie, Tim? His family used to run the depanneur near our cottage.

BAINES: Jacques Rougeau? Or was it Raymond? Hockey needs folding chairs and foreign objects. Let's get Gary Bettman on one of these faceoffs.

STEVENSON: Bettman does a radio show on XM. Why not the Digital Faceoff? Get on that, Bruce. He's got to drop everything on his agenda and get a team in Quebec City. I miss the poutine at Chez Ashton.

GARRIOCH: Let's ask Bill Daly first. Then, he can tell Gary what a great forum this is.

BAINES: There's some pretty fine poutine at Chez Paris, too. And a couple of other things.

STEVENSON: It's Chez Paree, Tim. Only going on what Don told me.

BRENNAN: It's no Silver Dollar, that's for sure.

STEVENSON: The entire defence had its hands full with the Penguins -- what team's doesn't? -- but I thought all the pre-season concerns with Karlsson, being able to win board battles, positioning, were on display Monday night. The question is how much will he improve? Picard's played pretty well when he got the chance.

GARRIOCH: Tim, I am always going to support a trade. Maybe they can get Francois Beauchemin or Mike Komisarek from the Leafs.

STEVENSON: Tim, I think the defence has played up to its potential without its top guy, Kuba. The biggest concern with this team is the power play. One goal in the first five games? Really? One?

BRENNAN: Words I've never said before -- Tim is right. They do need to make a trade. They need another defenceman.

BAINES: Don agrees with me? Ok, I'm changing my tune. The defence is fine. They need a 50-goal scorer. Has Heatley asked for a trade out of San Jose yet?

GARRIOCH: You mean the selfish suckhole. Some guy was all over Don and I because he won player of the week. Last I checked, Don and I didn't ask to be dealt.

BRENNAN: I wanna talk about Kovie. Can he be the topic Saturday? Everybody watch him play against the Bolts Thursday night and we'll break down his game. No one can turn it on like AK27. No one turns it off like him, either. Problem is, we don't see the ON very often. Like, not yet.

BRENNAN: Should I be concerned that there is smoke coming from the hood of my car? Good thing it's raining. At least I won't go up in Flames.